


A Moment of Quiet

by carpfish



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: A3! 69 mins, Alcohol, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Pre-Slash, no beta we die like men, part 2 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-09
Updated: 2019-11-09
Packaged: 2021-01-26 08:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21370969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carpfish/pseuds/carpfish
Summary: Chikage and Guy spend a quiet moment together after a day in each others' company, and come to a realization about some similarities they share.BIG Act 4 and Act 8 spoilers, be warned. Written for the Twitter A3 @ 69min challenge.
Relationships: Guy/Utsuki Chikage
Comments: 2
Kudos: 50





	A Moment of Quiet

**Author's Note:**

> Thought this up for last week's "Ghosts From the Past" prompt and wrote it bc it applied to this week's "Masks" theme. Didn't really time myself, and heavily unbeta'd. Warnings for alcohol mention and non-graphic violence. The romance is barely there so can easily be read as gen.

It's a quiet end to a quiet day in each others'company. Guy had needed to run a few errands on a day when Chikage had been free, and he'd opted to join in as an extra hand. Then they'd been waylaid by a newly opened import store that sold some hard-to-find Zahran spices, and afterwards passed a bar with limited time promotion for a special sake that Azuma had once recommended. Now it's early evening, and the Manager is probably wondering where his requested toilet paper and cleaning supplies are, but Chikage isn't quite ready to head back to the dorms yet. Judging by the relaxed lines of Guy's face and the languid pace of his feet, he must feel the same.

There's a small public sitting area tucked into one of the side paths near the shopping street. In the mornings, elderly use it for exercise groups, and in the afternoon, students sit there and chat with vending machine drinks. But right now, on a weekend evening, it's completely empty with nobody around. A fortunate, secluded detour for the two of them.

Guy takes a seat on one of the benches, setting down the pair of reusable bags that he's been lugging around all day, like a grandmother at a grocery store flash sale.

"Want anything to drink?" Chikage asks, gesturing towards the colorful vending machines lined up on the streetside.

Guy shakes his head politely. "I'm not thinking of anything in particular at all. Just taking a short break." Despite his words, he doesn't look the slightest bit tired from carrying all those cleaning supplies. Even though Chikage had offered to help at least a dozen times.

Guy's hearing mistake is a harmless, endearing one, and Chikage is suddenly hit with an unbidden fondness for the man. Chikage's interactions with Winter Troupe have always centered around Hisoka of course, but he never expected to find companionship in its other members as well. Winter Troupe is still Mankai, still part of his family, but being in the company of other, more subdued adults is different from being with Spring Troupe. It's different from being with Chigasaki, who hardly ever behaves like the adult he is anyways. And being with Guy is different, like another kind of acting too.

"Anything to _ drink _," Chikage repeats with a smile that comes more easily than he expected. "If I had to guess, you'd seem like the shiruko-drinking type, Guy-san."

Guy tilts his head in unhurried contemplation. “Hmm, I wonder what makes you say that… But no, I’d prefer to keep the taste of that sake on my tongue for a bit longer.” His features melt into a smile at the memory of the drink, and his gaze falls upon Chikage, wordlessly welcoming him onto the bench. 

Chikage accepts the invitation gladly, taking a seat next to Guy. The dimming evening sky washes out the clearing and them both with an undeserved softness. “I’m glad you enjoyed it so much. We should bring the others to that bar next time.” 

“Yes, I’m sure they’d enjoy it. The atmosphere had a lovely sense of… ” Guy leans his weight onto his arm and squints up at the sky, searching for a word. “_ Hmm, I can’t think of the word in Japanese, but I’m not sure if you know this word in Zahran _.” 

“Oh? _ Try me _.” After so much Zahran practice together, slipping in and out of tongues mid-conversation comes as second nature. Almost as easily and unbidden as the way that Chikage’s hand reaches over the bench to rest on top of Guy’s, heavy and warm. This is something that they could only do in this empty little park, away from prying eyes. 

The world stops.

Chikage barely breathes as Guy’s other hand slowly moves to cup his cheek. He’d known that Guy’s hands were rough and calloused, from years of service as Citron’s retainer and now as Tsumugi’s garden deputy, but that abstract knowledge has never felt so real as it does now. Guy’s features remain relaxed, but inquisitive, as he leans in, dipping his head closer. In response, Chikage tilts his head up, parting his lips in anticipation. The space between them is tense and sparking like electric, but the motions come as naturally as a play they never needed to rehearse in the first place. 

“7 o’ clock behind you, 10 meters away, 43 degree angle,” Guy whispers, the shape of his lips obscured by his carressing hand. Chikage blinks twice in acknowledgement, face close enough that only Guy would be able to say. They fall into their roles like clockwork- drawing upon instinct that’s been bred into them both from childhood. Different spices, same dish. But from any other angle, they look nothing more than a pair of lovers, sharing a moment of intimacy. 

Guy’s slanted torso provides all the cover that Chikage needs to unclip a knife from his body holster. The hidden assailant on the roof barely has time to react before Chikage sends the knife flying. It hits its mark on the attacker’s shoulder- his aim was a bit off, damn- and sends them into a panic. They try to run, but another knife towards the feet has them slipping on the tiles and off the roof. They hit the ground with a painful sounding grunt, and don’t move afterwards. What an amateur. 

Guy has the unconscious body pinned to the ground in a flash, fingers at its pulse. “Still beating,” he reports. “But unconscious. Possibly concussed.” Chikage rips the attacker’s mask off, and begins running through faces in his head as he continues to frisk the man for clues. This isn’t someone from the Organization- clearly not, judging by his level of training- but who else would send a mook after him?

Within moments, Guy pulls out an empty thumb-sized bottle of alcohol from one of the man’s pockets. Undoubtedly, the man needed some liquid courage for the job. The label’s been scratched off, but Guy takes a sniff. Then he stands, tossing the bottle to Chikage for further inspection. The look on his face is hard and unfeeling, like the android he used to be. 

“It’s a Zahran brand of liquor,” Guy explains, not looking Chikage in the eye. “He wasn’t after you. This ghost is one of mine.” 

The sit-out area is quiet again, evening light glimmering through the glass of the little liquor bottle. Chikage turns it over in his hands as he stares at the lines of Guy’s back, trying to figure out what they’re going to do with this body. How they’re going to handle this without putting any of the rest of Mankai in danger.

Well, he and Guy have always known what each other are. But it was nice acting at being normal, even if for just a short, quiet moment. 

**Author's Note:**

> It always did occur to me that Chikage and Guy's canon conversations are peculiarly domestic, for a super spy and a former black-ops operative who are likely full aware of each others' identities. This was my sloppy attempt to address that, just a bit.


End file.
